‘Ridiculous Fishing’ Review

Vlambeer is known for its weird, experimental-yet-arcade-style games: from the insanity of Super Crate Box that simply begs for higher scores to the crazy hip-hop inspired FPS Gun Godz. Now the team has returned to one of its early prototyped games, which focuses on the thrilling subject of fishing. How do you make fishing fun, you ask?

Guns. Lots and lots of guns.

Therein lies the greatness that is Ridiculous Fishing. The original Radical Fishing was created by Vlambeer but this newer (and more ridiculous) version for iOS was developed by Hundreds artist Greg Wolwhend and SpellTower creator Zach Gage with music by Spelunky/Hotline Miami composer Eirik Suhrke.

Players cast their line and try to avoid as many fish as they can (yes, you read that right). It eventually gets harder and harder with larger fish and fish that seem to want to be lured into your deathtrap. Once you hit your first fish, the music reverses as the line pulls back up. Now you’ll want to collect all the fish you can on your way up.

The very best part is that, right as the line breaches the surface, the music ramps up and you’re tasked with killing fish using whatever guns you’ve got. Techniques vary here, as you’ll find yourself sliding your finger around madly with automatic weapons like uzis and mini-guns, or tapping frantically with more powerful direct weapons like a blunderbuss or your starting pistol.

To add to the to the frenzy, the game includes a handful of things you don’t want to shoot, including floating reefs and jellyfish. Destroying these will result in a loss of cash, which you’ll need if you want more awesome upgrades later on in the game, like hairdryers or toasters to employ as a last-ditch effort after you hit a fish. You can also purchase more lures and lanterns to help you see the depths of whatever lake or ocean you’re in at the time. And, of course, you can buy a variety of hats, which serve no purpose other than making you look like an authentic fisherman (worth it).

As with some of the best of iOS games, the arcade nature of Ridiculous Fishing keeps you coming back for more. You’ll know in your heart that you can get further than 300-500 feet underwater, and every botched attempt makes you want to to try again. Eventually, once you’ve completed everything in the game, you’ll unlock a crazy endless mode that’’s sure to keep high scores flowing throughout the game’s existence.

One final thing to note is its Twitter-like Byrdr. It’s a fun meta social network in which players can actually tweet some of their findings. It’s cute and can be pretty funny sometimes. There are also no in-app, real-money purchases, so what you’re getting is a pure and full experience from beginning to end.

Without a doubt, Ridiculous Fishing will keep you coming back for more as months roll by, and having it on your phone or iPad wherever you go makes it that much easier to satisfy your inevitable craving. It feels like a lost NES arcade gem, recently unearthed and improved upon with Vlambeer’s stamp of approval. And for $2.99, it won’t break the bank to pack up your shotgun and go fish.